Vice-President Hamid Ansari (centre) unveils the centenary plaque at Shailabala Women’s College in Cuttack on Tuesday. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, April 2: Vice-President Mohammed Hamid Ansari today inaugurated the centenary celebration of Shailabala Women’s College here. He stressed the need to ensure gender parity in every field to set the country on the path of progress, prosperity and modernity.

“Our country has been blessed with remarkable women leaders who have left indelible mark on our society and polity through their invaluable contributions. The paradox is that as a society we are somewhat schizophrenic in our attitudes to women and in actual practice oscillate between deep respect and endemic display of brutality in word and deed,” Ansari said.

He described Shailabala Das, after whom the college is named, as “a champion of women’s education”.

“The status and condition of women in India during her lifetime was factored on rigid social structure and regressive mindset. Her initiative of setting up this college is, therefore, all the more commendable,” he added.

The college was opened after the board of education constituted by the government of Bihar and Odisha in 1912 to look into the problems of education in the state recommended an intermediate college for women in Cuttack. Shailabala Das represented Odisha at the meeting of the board.

The college began with intermediate classes on the Ravenshaw Girls’ School campus in 1913.

The Intermediate Women’s College was elevated to the status of a first-grade degree college in 1946 and shifted to its present location at Mission Road in 1952 when Das offered to accommodate the college in Madhusmruti, the residence of her father Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan Das.

Subsequently, she handed over Madhusmruti constituting of two floors with 28 rooms to the government for functioning of the college. With new blocks of rooms along with a separate science block coming up in the premises, the college at present has nearly 2,500 students on its rolls. A hostel with a capacity to house 100 boarders was built in 1959.

However, former students feel their alma mater has not received due attention of the state government.

Stating that the college lacks adequate hostel facilities, former state minister for women and child welfare, Bijaylaxmi Sahu said though importance is being given to set up universities, Shailabala Women’s College, is yet to be accorded unitary university status.

But the present students are hopeful of all-round development of the college. “We are optimistic that the government will take steps for all-round development of the college including appointment of lecturers. Over 50 per cent teaching posts are vacant,” said Purabi Sinha, an undergraduate science student.